Jane's Stuff

Jane enjoys drawing and painting. Join her. Doodling, drawing, ART - all of it is great for brain health! Check out Jane's Youtube channel below. And if you see a picture on my blog you would like to purchase send Jane an email (or check out Jane's store).

I know better. I really do. If you look back at the posts on this site you'll see the evidence to this.

I haven't been drawing or painting much at all this summer. And this is the summer I desperately need to be doing creative stuff. It has been a real stressor -- what with us trying to find a new place to live, getting my two oldest ready to go to college in August; putting our place up for sale, trying to do ministry -- and there are so many unknowns and dealing with behavior issues (not in me usually). I've been massively stressed.

That being said I doodled and then used my colored pencils today. One is of my son Hawk rolling on the ground. The other is of some unknown lady I named Eddie.

Presently, I'm rethinking the title of this website. This website began as a record of my journey into illustration. Along the way my focus changed. I found out that doodling, drawing -- any kind of art that gets you "in the zone" is great for your brain, for its function, for its sanity. Maybe I should say mine but I think what I found out applies to anyone who wants to try drawing. The focus isn't on if it is good or not. The focus is on the act. The focus is on letting your brain and hands have their way with a pen and paper. It is a very good thing.

Anyway, I hadn't posted for a while so here are a few doodles I drew in my journal over the last few days.

This is evil Pete drinking is coffee hot chocolate (What he does every morning before school). The other dude is a rendition of a character from a book.

I just drew some of the objects on the table and wrote a bad poem.

This began as a drawing of my Maggie girl (who lives in heaven). But I made the mistake of trying to draw her teeth. Since that went badly I put a genie costume on her. She would have liked it.

I just left the writing in my journal on the pages. Feel free to read them if you like. Some of it is prayers. Some of it is prayer requests.

But like a newborn babe, I have a lot of growing to do. I have no idea what I will become (just like we don't know who are children will become).

If you want to watch this journey unfold, stop back when you can.

I'm so excited. I'll post my projects online for you to enjoy or laugh at or both....It doesn't matter. I want to do this.

What is your dream?

When I began this blog I had hopes of finding my drawing style.

And I have. It took a while but I found it. It is like finding your voice as a writer. Every writer has a distinct voice. It usually takes a while to find it.

My other hope was to one day see myself as a professional illustrator.

And I have had things published.

But today I arrived at a different destination than the one I thought I was heading toward. I have been here for a while but until this morning I didn't make it official in my heart. While writing in my journal I realized I am where I am supposed to be with drawing. Drawing has become a medium by where I can create and lose myself in that creation. It is good for my soul and I am content with this.

Whenever it is something else that is fine, but whether or not it goes beyond my drawing books, my journals, my doodles, it doesn't matter because I find solace in drawing. God uses it to center me, to help me get back to what matters.

I draw daily. I will share a few drawings from the pages of my journal from this week. They aren't good drawings. Some may say they are bad but I don't care. It is the act of drawing that has changed my life now. I still have my favorite illustrators who I will continue to study. And I continue to work on my technique but I am happy where God has brought me. I hope you too will pick up a pencil or a pen or a crayon or whatever drawing utensil is around and just doodle. It is good for your soul.

This is a picture of Shannon's Thursday morning breakfast, toast and oatmeal.

This is Hawken and me.

This is Pete -- my youngest son. Yes, he is this skinny and yes, his legs look like that. I drew it to make him laugh. He laughed.

When it comes to participating in creative activities we often don't because we don't want to do it badly.

Listen: I give you permission to draw badly. I give you permission to paint badly. I give you permission to write bad poetry. Don't focus on the product. Focus on the process. Focus on losing yourself in the creation process. Just enjoy yourself. That is when you find the blessing.

We all used to be able to do this stuff without engaging the inner critic. When we were very very young we drew because it was fun. We colored because it was fun. We created because it was fun.

We need to get back to that. Get back to that today. Here's my badly drawn fruit I drew this morning:

Yes, it could be a whole lot worse but it is still bad. Now, don't go saying "I can't even draw that Jane."

That is definitely NOT what you are supposed to do. Quit comparing yourself to others.

Now, before the day is finished please pick up a writing utensil and do a bit of doodling. Keep doodling until you are enjoying the process. Then, find another writing utensil that is a different color and color parts of your doodle. Sign it with a flourish (which I forgot to do on Fruit Drawn Badly) and share it.